Imagine a customer searching for “organic cotton baby clothes”. Your Shopify store sells just that, but your product doesn’t appear on the first page of search results. Why? One potential reason is the absence of relevant meta keywords.
While Shopify offers SEO features built-in, you may still need to manually add meta keywords to your product HTML. These are a set of terms that describe the content of a webpage, helping search engines understand what the page is about.
Through this blog, I’ll explain how the Shopify experts add Meta Keywords in Shopify products with HTML. Let’s get straight into it.
This approach allows you to target very specific search terms that might not be automatically captured by Shopify’s systems.
Step 1: Access the Shopify Admin Panel
To begin, log in to your Shopify admin panel:
- Go to Shopify and log into your account using your credentials.
- In the admin dashboard, click on the Products section to see the list of all your products.
Step 2: Edit the Product for Which You Want to Add Meta Keywords
To do this:
- Click on the Products tab in the Shopify admin.
- Find and select the product you want to add meta keywords to.
- In the product details page, scroll down to the Search engine listing preview section.
This section typically includes the product’s title, description, and URL, and it is where you will add your meta tags.
Step 3: Open the HTML Source for Customizing Meta Keywords
Shopify provides a convenient option to edit the meta title and meta description directly from the product’s page. However, for meta keywords, we’ll need to manually add the code through Shopify’s Liquid template files.
To do this:
- Go to your Shopify Admin Panel.
- Navigate to Online Store > Themes.
- Under Actions, click Edit Code.
Step 4: Locate the Product Template File
Once in the code editor:
- On the left-hand side, locate the Templates section.
- Click on product.liquid. This is the template file for individual product pages.
In the product.liquid file, you’ll need to add the meta keywords tag manually. You can place it within the <head> section of the HTML, where other meta tags (like description and title) are usually located.
Step 5: Insert the Meta Keywords Tag
Within the product.liquid file, add the following code inside the <head> section:
<meta name=”keywords” content=”{{ product.title }}, {{ product.tags | join: ‘, ‘ }}”>
Explanation:
- The {{ product.title }} variable inserts the title of the product as a keyword.
- The {{ product.tags | join: ‘, ‘ }} variable pulls all the tags you’ve added to the product and joins them into a comma-separated list. Tags are commonly used in Shopify to categorize products, so this is a great way to automatically pull in relevant keywords.
This meta tag will ensure that the product’s title and tags are dynamically added as keywords in the HTML of the product page.
Step 6: Save Your Changes
Once you’ve added the code, click Save at the top right of the editor to apply the changes.
Step 7: Test the Changes
To confirm that the meta keywords are working properly:
- Open a product page on your Shopify store in a browser.
- Right-click on the page and select View Page Source.
- Search for the keyword <meta name=”keywords”. You should see the meta keywords tag you added, populated with the product title and tags.
Adding meta keywords to your product pages may seem like a small step, but it can make a difference in how your store is indexed and discovered. While they aren’t the main factor for SEO, they help improve organization and clarity for search engines.
If you want to implement this process for the best results, consult with our professional Shopify development company. We have SEO experts who can help enhance visibility of your products across various platforms.
Meta keywords may not carry the same weight in SEO as they once did, but they can still offer value, especially in specific scenarios. Here’s why they can still matter:
- Enhanced SEO for Smaller Search Engines: While Google and other major search engines have moved away from using meta keywords, smaller or niche search engines might still use them as a ranking factor. Including relevant keywords could improve visibility in these search engines.
- Content Organization: Meta keywords help organize and categorize your products more efficiently. By defining the key terms related to your product, you create a clear structure for both search engines and users to understand what your product offers.
- Clarity for External Tools: Some SEO tools, directories, and external platforms still reference meta keywords to categorize content. By keeping these tags relevant, you ensure your products are easily indexed across various platforms.
Incorporating meta keywords may not be a game-changer for your SEO efforts, but they can help improve your store’s discoverability, especially when targeted towards smaller search engines or for better content management.
When it comes to meta keywords in Shopify, it’s important to go beyond just adding them to your product pages. Proper management of meta keywords can help you maximize their potential for better visibility and improved SEO.
In this section, we’ll share some additional tips to help you manage your meta keywords more effectively and ensure they align with your overall SEO strategy.
- Use Product Tags Wisely: Since the meta keywords for your product page are dynamically generated based on product tags, make sure your tags are well-organized and relevant to each product. For example, if you’re selling shoes, tags like “leather,” “running,” or “size 10” will make your meta keywords more targeted and specific.
- Keep Your Keywords Relevant: Meta keywords should directly reflect the content of your product. Avoid keyword stuffing (i.e., using irrelevant or excessive keywords), as it can make your content seem spammy. Focus on terms that best describe your product and match what customers would search for.
- Monitor Your Store’s SEO Performance: Adding meta keywords is just one piece of the SEO puzzle. For optimal results, regularly monitor your store’s SEO performance using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Consider reviewing your meta descriptions, titles, and other on-page SEO elements to further improve your rankings.
- Consider Using Shopify Apps: If you don’t want to manually manage meta keywords for every product, consider using SEO apps like SEO Manager or Plug in SEO. These apps can help automate the SEO process and offer features like bulk editing, real-time analysis, and keyword suggestions.
When it comes to keyword optimization, small adjustments can lead to a more organized approach to SEO. So hire our dedicated Shopify developers and improve your product visibility.
FAQs on Manually Adding Meta Keywords in Shopify Products with HTML
How many meta keywords should I use?
There’s no magic number. Focus on quality over quantity. Aim for around 10-15 highly relevant keywords that accurately describe your product. Avoid keyword stuffing, as this can be detrimental to your SEO.
Where exactly in the section should I place the meta keywords tag?
While the precise location within the <head> isn’t critical, a good practice is to place it just before the closing </head> tag. This ensures that the meta keywords are declared before the end of the head section.
I’ve added the meta keywords, but they’re not showing up in the page source. What’s wrong?
While the precise location within the <head> isn’t critical, a good practice is to place it just before the closing </head> tag. This ensures that the meta keywords are declared before the end of the head section.
Let’s Summarize
Manually adding meta keywords in Shopify products offers a valuable opportunity to fine-tune your product’s discoverability. By targeting specific search terms and long-tail keywords, you can help search engines better understand the context of your products and connect them with the right customers.
Remember, this is just one piece of the SEO puzzle. Combine this technique with compelling product descriptions, optimized titles, and a focus on user experience for a truly effective SEO strategy.
For an effective SEO optimization of your Shopify store, you can consult with our experts today!
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As a Business Consultant at Brainspate, I collaborate with clients to understand their business objectives, challenges, and opportunities, and develop tailored strategies and action plans to drive organizational growth, increase efficiency, and enhance profitability.
